Coffee + pie, I couldn’t.
Thank God I did, because this pie’s magic.
I passed the recipe for nine years. I take coffee and pie serious, so was hesitant to mess with either.
After one-two licked the whole dang beater, I still doubted the full pie coming together. I know! The beater tells the story, but with pie and coffee I’m a tough sell.
There are pies and pies that stop us mid fork. Coffee Cream’s such a pie. Bite after bite, I suddenly felt unsafe in the same room, so walked pie to the downstairs fridge. What had I done?
Once home, Dave asked about the pie. I warned; he laughed. Downstairs he grabbed pie. One fork and he too was in danger.
Luxurious, sinful, this pie makes me crazy. I pull then push. Coffee + Pie, I couldn’t but did, so said goodbye. Dave’s work was wide eyed mesmerized.
Unable were eight pie admirers to resist the smooth of coffee’s cream against the cookie crunch. Topped with an espresso whipped cream, eaters suddenly wished pie was cut into six. Who would’ve been the severed two, we’ll keep that secret never know.
It’s true— a whipped cream with a hint of coffee, then folded with crushed espresso beans.
A recipe passed for nine years— that’s 3,285 days, but who’s counting?
I am!
I’ve. We’ve, been deprived of this pie for over 3,000 days.
Lesson learned.
Fear no pie. Make them all.
Coffee Cream Pie – A Holiday Stunner
The espresso powder’s divided, 2T in the pie and 1tsp. in the whipped cream.
Find espresso powder in grocery stores, at King Arthur, order online, or I hear we can ask a local barista too.
Do you strain cream pies through a sieve? This extra step makes an ultra smooth cream pie! If new to this step, I hope this helps.
“This must be where pies go when they die.”
– Special Agent Dale Cooper
Coffee Cream Pie
Ingredients:
9-inch Cookie Crust
- 25 6 ounces chocolate wafer cookies
- 3 Tablespoons cane or granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 5.5-6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly (sea level 5 tablespoons)
Coffee Cream Filling
- 3/4 cup cane or granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2½ cups whole milk
- 2 Tablespoons + 1 teaspoon, divided espresso powder
- 4 large egg yolks, slightly whisked
- 1/4 cup coffee liqueur, preferably Kahlua
- 1.5-2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (sea level = 1 teaspoon)
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons - softened
Espresso Whipped Cream
- 1¼ cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 Tablespoon confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder (listed above)
- ¼-⅓ cup dark chocolate covered espresso beans
Instructions
Cookie Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
- Place wafer cookies in a food processor. Pulse until the crumbs are fine and uniform in size.
- Combine cookie crumbs, sugar, and salt. Mix, then add melted butter. Coat the crumbs until the butter is even in distribution.
- Spread the crumbs even across the bottom of the pie plate. With your hands, a tart tamper, or the back and side of a small measuring cup, press the cookie mixture firm into the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate. Refrigerate for 5-10 minutes.
- On the center oven rack, bake the crust until firm, about 10 minutes. Remove and cool completely on a wire rack.
Coffee Cream Filling
- Place a fine sieve over a large bowl alongside coffee liqueur, vanilla, and cut butter.
- In a medium saucepan, whisk sugar, 2 Tablespoons espresso powder, cornstarch, and salt together. Whisk in milk and egg yolks. Run a spatula along the corners and bottom of the saucepan, making sure the mixture is well combined.
- Place the saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk nonstop until the mixture boils and thickens, about 7 minutes. Stir continuously for 60-90 seconds. Remove from heat and strain through a fine sieve. Stir in coffee liqueur and vanilla, then butter one piece at a time until melted. Let mixture cool for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, then pour into the cooled pie plate and smooth with a spatula or spoon.
- A few options for preventing a skin from forming:Press a piece of plastic over the surface of the pie, leaving as little gaps or air pockets. Glide a piece of butter across the surface of the pie or a light coat of vegetable spray, then press an unbleached piece of parchment paper over the pie (leaving as little gaps or air pockets).Place the pie on a wire rack to cool, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Coffee Bean Whipped Cream
- About 15 minutes before serving, chill a medium (preferably glass) bowl and mixer beaters in the freezer.
- With the flat side of a chef's knife, crush espresso beans one at a time. Reserve 1 Tablespoon whole beans.
- Using an electric mixer, start at medium low speed and work to high. Beat cream, confectioners' sugar, and espresso powder until stiff peaks form. Avoid over beating, as past stiff peaks the whipped cream will begin to deflate.
- Fold half of the crushed espresso beans into whipped cream, then (using a large tip) pipe or spread whipped cream over the pie. Garnish with remaining crushed and whole dark chocolate beans.
- Slice; enjoy the magic.
Notes
- The crust can be made the day before, cooled, and covered.
- The holidays are busy, a store bought crust can be filled too.
- if making a cream pie for the first time: at about seven minutes, you'll feel the cream change or thicken. While still over the heat, stir quickly for 60-90 seconds. If the cream bubbles too much, either lift the pot slightly while continuing to stir or reduce the heat a little. This is the make or break moment for the success of a cream pie. If never reached, the pie won't hold its form.
- for the best whipped cream, use a medium-sized deep glass bowl.
- place the bowl and beaters in the freezer for a minimum of fifteen minutes.
- for whipped cream that best holds form without stabilizing, look for heavy cream with at least 6 grams total fat or 20% saturated. Clover, Trader Joe's, and Straus Family Creamery contain the above amount of fat and make amazing whipped cream.
- whipped cream can be made early, covered, and refrigerated for up to a few hours.
Oh man, that looks SOOOO good!!! You taught me the importance of seiving a cream pie filling. And fresh whipping cream? The BOMB!!! An absolute must have for the holidays, especially for pumpkin pie. Question though; how can I make the pie without the Kahlua? Or alcohol period? You know much more about substitutions for baking than anyone else. Thank you!
Ahh, the eternal sweetie pie who deflects all sweetie comments. Thank you.
There are a couple options:
– this pie already has chocolate and espresso powder, so can omit Kahlua and increase espresso
– can purchase non-alcohol coffee liqueur, but with with the reviews, wonder how the pie would taste?
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=non+alcoholic+coffee+liqueur&ref=nb_sb_noss
– can make homemake coffee liqueur sans alcohol, but I think we’ll scratch that one with having to make the pie and I plead the 5th on why.
– we’ll come up with how much to add because I know you’re making cookies now, right?